More on Soboba

During the summer months, the resort spent time painting the exterior of the building in shades of beige and earth tones; putting down flooring and adding electrical power, according to news release put out over that time.

More recently, crews have been at work on such details as moving in furniture, tiling the pool area and providing landscaping.

A news release from Soboba noted that various community members have visited the new facility, including new Riverside County Sheriff Chad Bianco and Hemet/San Jacinto Chamber of Commerce Chairman Lakshman Koka.

Koka said he was impressed with what he found when he went to tour the new resort Dec. 21, particularly with the view from one of the hotel rooms.

“It’s just an incredible view overlooking the golf course and swimming pool and the mountains,” Koka said. “It’s a very classy elegant room. I expect that in a place like Las Vegas… not San Jacinto or Hemet, not that San Jacinto and Hemet are not capable of having those things.”

Koka, who dislikes the stagnant cigarette smell that often accompanies gaming floors, said he was also impressed with the fact that there’s a system that regularly ships fresh air into the casino from the outside and circulates it.

The Soboba Band of Luiseño Indians is planning on opening its new casino and hotel site in late February, according to a resort press release. (Courtesy of Soboba Casino).

A view of the landscaping outside Soboba’s new hotel and casino site in San Jacinto. (Courtesy of Soboba Casino).

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A view of the Soboba Springs Golf Course from the Soboba Band of Luiseño Indians’ new casino and hotel site. (Courtesy of Soboba Casino).

He said the Hemet San Jacinto Chamber of Commerce is already planning some of its events at the resort once it opens, including a golf tournament and its Reverse Drawing, an annual fundraiser with a $10,000 grand prize.

Koka sees the economic impact of the replacement casino as two-fold: Not only will it create jobs as a direct result of opening but it will also inadvertently create jobs as people who visit the casino go out to shop and dine in the surrounding area.

“The businesses and the restaurants in the Valley will also benefit and we will have more customers and income,” Koka said.

Alex Groves writes about casinos for the entertainment team at Southern California News Group. He started his first full-time gig as a breaking news reporter for The Press-Enterprise in 2015 but has also written stories on arts programs at local high schools, dining and events. In his free time, Alex enjoys hiking and traveling. A craft beer enthusiast, Alex likes to bring back an IPA as a souvenir from every new place he travels.